Pope to U.S. Bishops: Your Authority Is Being Compromised
On the level of higher education, many of you have pointed to a growing recognition on the part of Catholic colleges and universities of the need to reaffirm their distinctive identity in fidelity to their founding ideals and the Church’s mission in service of the Gospel. Yet much remains to be done, especially in such basic areas as compliance with the mandate laid down in Canon 812 for those who teach theological disciplines. The importance of this canonical norm as a tangible expression of ecclesial communion and solidarity in the Church’s educational apostolate becomes all the more evident when we consider the confusion created by instances of apparent dissidence between some representatives of Catholic institutions and the Church’s pastoral leadership: such discord harms the Church’s witness and, as experience has shown, can easily be exploited to compromise her authority and her freedom.
Read: Your authority IS BEING exploited and the Church's witness is being harmed. Do something. (Suggestion: Part of the duty of the bishop is to guard the name of Catholic, what is and what isn't, to avoid confusion. All it takes is a little letter for either individuals or institutions. Sure there will be some heat but the building is already on fire. I wouldn't be surprised if the Holy Father says something even more directly to this effect if the bishops don't do something before this commencement address.)
Please pray that our bishops take it a step further than merely being united on an issue. Pray that they defend the flock from the enemies in the camp. You can read the entire address here.
